Third Phase Amnesty begins

The National Chairman of the Third Phase Amnesty Programme, under the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Johnson Ajuwa, has said the Federal Government is ready to begin the implementation of the third phase of the programme.

He said President Goodluck Jonathan has approved 3,642 slots for ex-agitators on the list of third phase amnesty programme.

This consists of 500 slots for Itsekiri, 100 slots for the late John Togo boys, 200 slots for Lato Marine and the rest to oil producing communities in the Niger-Delta.

The chairman spoke in Ore, Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State, during the inaugural meeting held with the new executive and leaders of ex-agitators in Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers and Ondo states.

Ajuwa was elected as the national chairman of the Phase Three Programme on October 21. He replaced the former Chairman, Ramsey Omukoro.

The rest are Peretubo Otobo from Bayelsa state (CSO1), Akinkuomowe Elder from Edo State, Akins Mumboh from Ondo State, Mike Atelemo from Ondo State (National Treasurer) and Boro Opushashi also from Ondo ,the Deputy Speaker).

The new chairman urged the ex-agitators to be patient on the implementation of the programme, adding that President Jonathan through the Special Adviser on Niger-Delta and chairman of PAP, Kingsley Kuku, has approved and promised to include members in the amnesty programme.

“Information about any ex-agitator will be obtained directly from the ‘barracks’ where such member dropped his arms.

“So don’t be deceived by some dubious people going about collecting money in the name of including and allocating slots to ex-agitators on the third phase programme.”

The Nigerian High Commissioner in Ghana, Olusheyi Onafowokan, has hailed the programme.

The Amnesty Programme Office revealed that local training of ex-militants was to begin with the 2013 budget.

Three hundred and ninety three trainees graduated recently in skill acquisition in four institutions in Ghana while 383 are currently in training in the country.

“I don’t think there is a better way a government could demonstrate its sincerity in tackling a social menace than what late President Umar Yar’Adua did in setting up the Niger Delta Amnesty programme.

“Moreover, because President Gooduck Jonathan is a believer in the intentions of the late leader, he never allowed the project to die,” he said.

The diplomat pointed out that the project remains the best any good government could embark upon.

“For some number of times I have been with the students on scholarship under the sponsorship of the Amnesty programme and my interaction with them showed me that the programme remains one of the best any nation can have to re-orientate its citizens.